


61 and 47, 98 and 99

by mekamaxine



Category: The Long Walk - Richard Bachman
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, I REALLY DONT KNOW HOW TO TAG THIS, M/M, its mostly just mcvries dumping his feelings narration thats it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 03:25:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14511516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mekamaxine/pseuds/mekamaxine
Summary: "It's time to sit down"McVries makes his choice but doesn't expect Garraty to make the same.





	61 and 47, 98 and 99

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't planning on posting this, it was mostly just me venting my emotions about this book since i love it so much, but since it's May 1st I decided to go ahead. Also, this tag is in desperate need of more fics lmao. Enjoy!

_ "No! Me! Me! Shoot Me!" _

 

If McVries wasn't so exhausted, if every inch of him wasn't screaming in pain, he might've been more visibly shocked by Garraty's outburst. Instead, his eyes only fluttered open. He felt like a machine that had rusted from the rain. He took in Garraty's crumpled up form. 

 

Garraty was shaking, sobbing, and McVries wished he could reach out and comfort him. Yet... did he really have the right? This was his own fault after all. He was the reason for Garraty's tears, for his pain. McVries hated that some part of him deep down was happy with this knowledge. Knowing someone was going to mourn for him, knowing someone wanted him to keep going, it made McVries feel things he long thought impossible to feel. It almost made him want to stand up. 

 

Almost.

 

However, even after Garraty's third warning, McVries realized the other boy gave no inclination he was going to keep walking. Garraty was trembling on his hands and knees, too weak to even stand, and his eyes were darting anxiously around McVries. Panic suddenly festered within McVries, and he moved his mouth as if to scream. He wanted to tell Garraty to go, _ go goddamn it, keep going _ . 

 

_ Didn't I say I would've bet my dollar you? You're “Maine's Own”, Raymond Garraty, and you're going to back out now?  _

 

_ Are you going to die before my eyes? _

 

The thought terrified McVries to his core. It was the thing that terrified him the most out of this whole damn walk. McVries never feared his own end, he craved it even. He didn't care about the pain or the gore he had endured and witnessed. He cared about Garraty, and the one thing he was scared of most was watching him die.

 

" _ Pete! _ " with his overused, hoarse voice, Garraty's plea broke through McVries's thoughts. He almost didn't recognize the call of his own name. It sounded so far away, and also somehow like it was being whispered in his ear. The weight of his name on Garraty's tongue was almost too much to bear and McVries wondered if it was going to be the last thing he heard. He didn't quite mind that. 

 

He very much minded that soon after Garraty spoke, a soldier was now pointing his rifle straight at him. The soldier showed no emotion, his face just the blank canvas of a man granted the opportunity to shoot the 98th boy in five days.  

 

Or would the 98th be himself with Garraty soon after? He couldn't tell. His mind was too muddled for any thoughts except a cry begging for Garraty to walk. God, McVries wished he had the strength to yell. 

 

_ Please, Garraty, you have to keep going. You have to win because you're the only person who deserves the Prize. You have to win because there's so much goodness in you, there's so much hope. _ McVries forgot what it was like to be good, to have hope. 

 

Garraty's destiny was to win and show this shitty world what he was made of. McVries's destiny was to die on this cold, raincoated pavement.

 

Five days.

 

_ I walk, I did walk, I will walk, I will have walked _

 

McVries's gaze flickered between the gun next to his head and Garraty before him. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Stebbins walking backward, staring at them, the realization dawning on him that he was about to win. He didn't seem as thrilled as McVries thought he would be. He didn't seem too upset either. The rabbit still remained just out of McVries's grasp, tempting him to chase after it. 

 

McVries wondered if Garraty was still crying, or if it was just the rain streaming down his face. He still wasn't moving from his crouched position. In just a few seconds, both of them would meet the unforgiving bullets introduced by the soldiers. McVries couldn't even say he was upset anymore that Garraty might be joining him in death. Everything in his body had grown numb, and he was just glad he wasn't going alone.

 

With a slanted smile, like so many he had given before, McVries stared right into Garraty's eyes, determined to make Garraty’s face the last thing he saw. Garraty stared back, face masked with horror. 

 

The world went black.

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
